On Thursday, July 31^st, the U.S. Senate confirmed Andrea Lucas for her second term as Acting Chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in a vote of 52-45 (see full press release). Lucas was originally appointed by Trump in 2020 where she served as a Commissioner for the agency until she was nominated as Acting Chair upon his reinauguration in January 2025. Prior to coming to the EEOC, she was a Senior Associate at the labor and employment litigation practice group Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP.

The EEOC is a bipartisan Commission comprised of five presidentially appointed members, including the Chair, Vice Chair, and three Commissioners. The EEOC currently holds several vacancies, with only Lucas (Acting Chair, Republican) and Kalpana Kotagal (Commissioner, Democrat) officially confirmed. This has significantly impacted the agency’s abilities and remains an obstacle for the enforcement of civil rights laws. It lacks a quorum, and while the EEOC can still operate, it cannot issue new guidance, adopt regulations, or rescind existing policies until at least one more Commissioner is nominated and confirmed.

As Acting Chair, Lucas will be responsible for providing policy direction and enforcement priorities, interpreting and enforcing federal anti-discrimination laws, issuing guidance and compliance materials for employers, authorizing the filing of lawsuits, representing the EEOC in public forums, as well as managing internal operation.

Her new term is set to expire on July 1, 2030.